Where to buy an AGR?

[UncleBeer]

Anyone know a source for the AGR (adjustable gap receiver) for tuba? I think Adams includes them on their horns, so that might be a possibility...

[The Big Ben]

Matt Walters/Dillon?

[bort2.0]

I bought one from Matt @ Dillon Music a few months ago. Just as easy as you'd expect. Call, talk shop for a bit, credit card, get your stuff in a few days!

[matt g]

Don’t forget, friends...

...if you “@“ the person, it’ll show up in their notifications and get them to this thread possibly a little quicker and easier! :-)

@Matt Walters will definitely help out if he can!

[bort2.0]

Don’t forget, friends...

...if you “@“ the person, it’ll show up in their notifications and get them to this thread possibly a little quicker and easier! :-)

@Matt Walters will definitely help out if he can!

Yep... and my "AT" was intentionally not "AT"-ed at Matt. Isn't it the OP's job to get to Matt, instead of getting Matt to the thread?

[matt g]

Don’t forget, friends...

...if you “@“ the person, it’ll show up in their notifications and get them to this thread possibly a little quicker and easier! :-)

@Matt Walters will definitely help out if he can!

Yep... and my "AT" was intentionally not "AT"-ed at Matt. Isn't it the OP's job to get to Matt, instead of getting Matt to the thread?

Depends?

If there is additional information or developments, those could also be shared here and/or confirmation of availability. One of those things that may help in terms of being a data repository.

If nothing else, maybe it gives him a heads up?

I dunno...

[bort2.0]

Yep... me neither. Obviously something up for debate on a slow Monday morning.

[hrender]

https://www.dillonmusic.com/agr-tuba-receiver/

[LargeTuba]

I may be stupid, but can someone explain to me the point of buying this rather than a used receiver of your desired shank.

[matt g]

I may be stupid, but can someone explain to me the point of buying this rather than a used receiver of your desired shank.

This device simply increases/decreases the gap between the en of the mouthpiece backbore and the entrance to the leadpipe. This can be helpful for some horns that are mouthpiece sensitive and/or for players that use different mouthpieces depending on situation.

[bloke]

The only instrument on which I ever installed one of those was that Buescher helicon in C. There were no tuning bits, and that little device at least allowed a little bit of adjustment for playing position… No other consideration.
Dave Houser might have one of those laying around, as he is the person who built the very first ones.

[bort2.0]

One word of warning, the AGR doesn't play well with the G&W Baer MMVI mouthpieces. I think it was like the standard mouthpiece fit in the Euro bit, and the Euro mouthpiece didn't fit in either bit. Or something like that. I forget, it was a while ago. But it didn't work as expected.

The AGR is a neat little tool, though. But in the end, for me, it's adding one more variable to the system. I'm bad enough to begin with, I don't need one more thing to worry about. Give me whatever gap is there now, and I'll deal with my crappy playing with that. :)

[bloke]

...but does it play with other mouthpieces...OK...such as non-union ones, etc...(??)

hmm...I thought those were made of hard metal...(??)

[UncleBeer]

Next question (never having installed one): I gather it replaces the regular receiver, but leadpipe tapers come in so many sizes, I don't immediately 'get' how it's gonna fit, unless it's tapered. Any help?

[Rick Denney]

The AGR has a tapered receiver. You don’t buy it to accommodate different tapers, per se, but to control the gap between the end of the shank and the joint between the receiver and the mouthpipe.

If the receiver is really a sleeved swaged over the mouthpipe, which is common on many German tubas, the AGR will create a joint where they want one, and its adjustment range may have no setting that matches what was there before. It was made for tubas that have a defined joint at the end of the receiver, which could (as the story goes) create turbulence between it and the blunt end of the shank.

Rick “results were real, but subjective” Denney

[Matt Walters]

The Dillon AGR tuba receiver is available on the www.dillonmusic.com website. Sorry I did not jump in here sooner but I didn't see this post until today. You can always ask me work related questions using Matt at dillonmusic.com
Fixing the gap between the end of the mouthpiece and the beginning of the leadpipe proper can affect and clean up articulation issues.

1a) If you have a tuba/mouthpiece combo you like but you get too much air at the beginning of the notes "foooooWHAAAA...",more gap will get you closer to a solid sound right on the beat.
1b) If you have a tuba/mouthpiece combo you like but you get too much articulation at the beginning of the notes "TTTaaaaa..." that sounds like a stutter, then decreasing the gap will minimize that.

2a) Th Dillon AGR will not make a piece of crap horn sound like a million bucks.
2b) The Dillon AGR will not make a lousy player instantly sound like a million bucks.

3a) The Dillon AGR will let you clean up minor articulation issues at the horn so that you don't have to work so hard changing your natural way of articulation.
3b) The Dillon AGR will let you use a wider selection of mouthpieces with your tuba and still find a clean, neutral articulation point by varying the gap at the receiver.

OR....you can go from mouthpiece to mouthpiece making the mouthpiece makers happy ($$$).